KU Assistant Baseball Coach Garners Summer League Job

Dec. 9, 2005

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

University of Kansas volunteer assistant baseball coach Kevin Tucker has been named head coach of Little Falls in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Tucker will begin his duties for the first year team at the conclusion of the Jayhawks’ 2006 season.

“I’m grateful and thankful to Coach Price for letting me go coach in the NYCBL this summer,” commented Tucker. “I’m excited to coach in a competitive environment with Division I players for an established league.”

The New York Collegiate Baseball League, founded in 1978, is a summer wood bat league sanctioned by the NCAA and partially funded by Major League Baseball. The league gives college players who have not yet signed a professional contract the opportunity to develop their skills at a higher level of play, gain experience with wood bats and be evaluated by scouts. The NYCBL is located in scenic Upstate New York.

Current Major League Baseball players who have played in the NYCBL include Tim Hudson, Scott Sauerback and Lou Merloni. KU’s Matt Berner, Justin Ellrich and Carter Holt played for the Geneva Red Wings of the NYCBL last summer.

Last summer as the head coach of the Lawrence American Legion team, Tucker led the Raiders to the Kansas state championship, its third straight. The Raiders finished the year 38-8 and undefeated against teams from the state of Kansas. The Raiders advanced to the region finals.

Tucker is in his second season coaching for the Jayhawks under head coach Ritch Price. The California native played collegiately for Cal Poly where he helped lead the Mustangs to a pair of conference championships and a runner-up finish in the Division II College World Series.

Tucker and the Jayhawks will look to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive 30 games this season. KU will open its 2006 schedule at Hawaii-Hilo on February 1.